11 Popular Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Flavors, Taste Tested And Ranked

This may be the best time in history to be an ice cream lover. Not only are there incredible ice cream shops in every state, but you can also find a seemingly limitless number of different ice cream brands and flavors at large grocery chains. Perhaps one of the most beloved and recognizable of those brands is Ben & Jerry's. The company first came onto the ice cream scene in 1978, and ever since, it has been coming up with some of the most creative, unexpected flavor combos you'll see in the freezer aisles of grocery stores.

We all have different preferences when it comes to ice cream, but I've done my best to taste-test and rank 11 of Ben & Jerry's popular flavors to give you an idea of what you're getting into with each scoop. I've chosen flavors I've personally seen a lot at grocery stores, gas stations, and other places where ice cream is sold, along with flavors I frequently see mentioned online.

I prefer ice cream flavors that are well-balanced (not too sweet or overly heavy-feeling and indulgent) and feature a good mixture of textures to keep things interesting. Also, I definitely prefer more chocolate-forward flavors, and that's reflected in this ranking. These reviews might just inspire you to try a whole new flavor the next time you get an ice cream flavor, but I won't blame you if you want to stick with your favorite Ben & Jerry's classics, either.

I know coffee ice cream isn't for everyone, but I actually quite like the flavor. I think it tends to have a nice mixture of bitter and sweet flavors, for a sophisticated-feeling flavor that's a welcome reprieve from more intensely sweet options. Unfortunately, I'm not a very big fan of Ben & Jerry's Coffee Toffee Bar Crunch. In theory, it sounds excellent, but the execution didn't do anything for me. First of all, I noticed a strange, metallic flavor when I took my first taste. I'm not sure where that note was coming from, but it was unpleasant. Only after that did I really start to taste the coffee. This ice cream doesn't have a particularly intense coffee bitterness — rather, the flavor fades to the background as the toffee takes center stage. I like this bitterness, so I felt a little let down.

The fudge-covered toffee pieces mixed into the ice cream are good and different enough to make this a potentially exciting option for toffee lovers. But as someone who doesn't really seek out toffee, I feel like this addition only added extra unnecessary sweetness to the mix.

Pistachio is another one of those ice cream flavors that can be a bit polarizing if you're not a fan of nuts, although its simplicity gives it an undeniable appeal. However, I can get down with the right kind of pistachio ice cream, especially if it has a nice saltiness to it. That's not what I found with Ben & Jerry's Pistachio Pistachio flavor. The issue I have with this flavor is just how strong the pistachio flavoring is in the ice cream itself. It doesn't taste very natural and has an overpowering sweetness that doesn't let you focus on the nuts themselves.

Admittedly, Ben & Jerry's really does deliver with the pistachios in this ice cream: There's a lot of them, which is rare these days when it seems like more and more brands are getting increasingly stingy. They create a lovely crunch that's simple but still makes for an interesting bite. Those nuts may not be able to save the flavor from its fate at the bottom of the list, but at least it has some redeeming qualities.

I ranked nine different cherry ice cream brands from worst to best, and Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ended up right in the middle of the pack. Here, it's done a bit worse, considering that I think this brand does other flavors better. I like that the base of the ice cream has a really natural-tasting cherry flavor. You'll also taste some cherry chunks along with fudge pieces in the mix to break up the texture, which is a nice touch. I appreciate the chewiness from the fruit and how it contrasts those hard flecks of chocolate.

But where Cherry Garcia misses the mark for me is in the fact that it leans so heavily into a cherry flavor instead of working with even more contrast. I would've liked to see a lot more chocolate here, for a richness I feel could've better balanced out all of the fruitiness. If you like a fruity ice cream, though, I think this is a flavor worth checking out. However, for the more chocolate-inclined amongst us, there are better options to explore in the Ben & Jerry's lineup.

Here's another winner for all of the fruity ice cream people out there. But Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey contains a fruit I don't see in many other ice creams on the market: banana. I was excited to try this flavor for the ranking, since I love a banana split, and I assumed this flavor would play into some of the same flavors. I was right. Although you're not getting actual pieces of banana in the mix (which probably wouldn't freeze well anyway), the base ice cream is banana-flavored. The walnuts and chunks of fudge help to break up the texture in a way that makes the intense banana flavor a lot more tolerable.

Is the banana-ness of the ice cream a little overkill in my opinion? Sure. But since there are so many nuts and fudge pieces mixed in, you get the balance this ice cream needs. I don't know if I would seek this flavor out again, since it's such a specific, niche flavor. It's truly something special for banana lovers.

If you've ever stood in front of a grocery store freezer, looking at every single ice cream flavor, trying to decide which one you want to try, then Ben & Jerry's Everything But The... might just be your dream come true. You don't have to choose between an ice cream with a vanilla or chocolate base, since this one has both, although I feel like it was definitely heavier on the chocolate than vanilla. Mixed into that blend of ice creams, you'll find toffee pieces covered in fudge, fudge-covered almonds, chunks of white chocolate, and even peanut butter cups — an unexpected combo of flavors that delivers some crunch and plenty of textural variety.

There's a lot going on in this ice cream, and I appreciate that you get interesting mix-ins. I think you get a complexity from this flavor you won't find in most store-bought ice creams, even if the overall flavor profile is on the sweet side. Personally, I think this flavor is a bit overwhelming, and it's not my favorite of the bunch. I also think it could be improved by adding a fruity element, since that could balance out the otherwise chocolate-heavy situation here. Still, this is a unique flavor which I think is totally worth checking out.

For some ice cream lovers, a basic bowl of ice cream just doesn't cut it. They need the cone to be there for maximum deliciousness. Not only does it provide a nice level of crunch, but it also comes with a unique sweetness you won't find in other common ice cream ingredients. Well, Ben & Jerry's Americone Dream is attempting to capture exactly that flavor and crunch experience. No, the pint doesn't come with its own waffle cones — rather, fudge-covered waffle pieces are mixed into the base of the ice cream itself, along with a sweet, sticky caramel swirl.

I have to admit I'm not the biggest cone person out there. To me, they can often be too sweet, and they don't allow you to appreciate the melted ice cream you get to taste when you eat it from a bowl. That's why this flavor doesn't rank higher on the list. However, this is an undoubtedly clever flavor with nice balance. Although the caramel swirl is quite sweet, it also has a subtle saltiness that pairs well with the sugariness of the waffle cones. Plus, the chocolate is used pretty sparingly here, so it doesn't overpower the subtler flavors. Even if you're a waffle cone skeptic like me, this novel flavor is still one of the more exciting options here.

This is another flavor designed for those who can be indecisive when they're picking out an ice cream flavor. Ben & Jerry's Half Baked is a mix of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, for a combo which is both intensely rich and milder and more neutral to varying degrees depending on the spoonful you get. But this isn't just a basic blend of chocolate and vanilla. After all, this is Ben & Jerry's, not some random store-brand ice cream. Rather, this stuff also comes with chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough and pieces of fudge brownie.

This combination of textures is, frankly, really good. The cookie dough pieces offer a chewier and grainier texture, while the fudge brownies are almost fluffy, lightening up the density of the ice cream itself. This is one of the best options out there for those who really care about ice cream texture.

Flavor-wise, it doesn't exactly hit the same notes for me. Both the chocolate brownie pieces and the cookie dough are quite sweet, and when you take a bite of both at the same time, that sweetness can be a bit overpowering. Ultimately, however, the flavor is a success as long as you're careful about just how much of each element you're getting in every bite.

Brownies are one of my all-time favorite desserts, so it can be difficult to decide between them and ice cream. Blessedly, Ben & Jerry's isn't forcing us to choose with its Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream. This is one of the most decadent ice cream flavors in this entire lineup, with a bold and rich chocolatey quality you won't find from most store-bought chocolate ice creams.

The chocolate ice cream itself is quite intense, delivering not just sweetness but a real punch of cocoa. To be honest, I think it would probably be too bold all on its own, but the addition of fudge brownie pieces creates enough contrast to keep things interesting. While yes, they add even more chocolate flavor to the equation, their comparatively light, fluffy texture breaks things up nicely. And since this flavor doesn't include that vanilla ice cream and those chocolate chip cookie dough pieces (like you'll find in the Half Baked flavor), the resultant mix isn't too overpowering.

Although this Ben & Jerry's flavor may lean too far into the chocolate realm for my personal taste, I think this is one of the better chocolate ice creams I've ever had. Real chocolate lovers who are looking for an ice cream that is less basic than standard chocolate will undoubtedly love this flavor even more than I do.

Reese's lovers, this one is for us. Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream is really taking this basic flavor to a whole new level. I've had plenty of ice creams that contain peanut butter cups before, and let's be honest: Most of them weren't particularly impressive. You get tiny little peanut butter cups that barely contain any peanut butter at all, and you're supposed to be satisfied with that. And truthfully, I was, until I tasted this Ben & Jerry's selection. This brand is absolutely not skimping on the peanut butter cups — instead, there are a ton of them in every bite throughout the pint. Plus, even though they're broken up into smaller pieces, they're still much bigger than I expected them to be before trying this ice cream.

The peanut butter cups themselves are not where the peanut butter flavor ends — the ice cream is also peanut butter-flavored. I think this detail might be overkill, since you are getting so much peanut butter in the cups themselves. I think a simple vanilla ice cream base might create a little more balance between the chocolate and peanut butter flavors, since it would provide a more neutral base for those elements to come together. However, I imagine for the more peanut butter-inclined, this is a dream ice cream flavor come true. Whether you're a peanut butter person or not, though, this ice cream is a great example of the brand's quality.

You don't have to be a fan of the band Phish to get down with Ben & Jerry's Phish Food flavor. I'll admit the description didn't sound too exciting to me at first. It all starts with a chocolate ice cream base that gets some textural variety from pillowy marshmallow swirls, which snake their way through the pint. If that weren't enough extra texture for you, there are also caramel swirls and little fudge fish mixed in. I don't particularly like marshmallows, and I'm not always fond of caramel either. Plus, the fish seemed kind of random. But once I took a bite, I suddenly understood why this flavor is so beloved.

The texture of the marshmallow swirls is really nice against the creaminess of the ice cream, and although the marshmallow is sweet, its flavor is neutral enough to break up the richness of the chocolate base. And sure, you get some sweetness from the caramel, but I also detected a slight saltiness as well, which gives this flavor a pleasant balance. And not only are the fudge fish cute once you get the chance to take a closer look at them, but their unique shape also contributes to the interesting texture of the ice cream as a whole. This is a very specific combination of elements you're probably not going to find from another brand, and that sense of novelty makes me appreciate this selection even more.

Maybe I have the palate of a five-year-old, or maybe I can just appreciate simplicity when it comes to ice cream, but I can't deny I love a good chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. I love that you get both a neutral, easy-to-enjoy base ice cream flavor that's only enhanced by the chewy, doughy pieces mixed in. But too many brands don't include enough cookie dough in the mixture, leaving you with a pint that mostly just tastes like basic vanilla ice cream. Blessedly, Ben & Jerry's does not commit this ice cream sin. 

Instead, this vanilla ice cream is absolutely packed with what the brand describes as "gobs" of chocolate chip cookie dough. This cookie dough gives the ice cream the most amazing texture, with the ideal blend of silky ice cream paired with dense and pleasantly gritty dough dotted with a generous amount of chocolate chips.

Not only does the cookie dough enhance the texture of the ice cream, but it also makes the flavor even more delicious. It tastes like actual, genuine chocolate chip cookie dough, with a caramelized flavor that's hard not to love. Of course, there's still more than enough chocolate here as well.

Even though this flavor might not be the most unique or unusual in the lineup, it proves that Ben & Jerry's has mastered simplicity — not just novelty. If you're going to pick up a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough, this one is a must-try.

I selected Ben & Jerry's flavors that I see at many different retailers and which are often discussed online. I considered flavor, texture, and novelty when deciding where to rank each of these products. I looked for more balanced flavors, without sweetness that's too overpowering. Flavors with a nice mix of different flavors or flavor elements ranked near the top of the list. 

Texture-wise, for the most part, I ranked varieties with more varied textures higher on the list than ones that were more one-note. And while it wasn't always a deciding factor, more interesting, unique, and novel flavors leaned toward the top of the list, while more standard varieties fell toward the bottom.